"as travellers, let us set out on a journey to heaven" --st. john chrysostom

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

mardi gras!

+jmj+

This phrase is 100% translatable into English. Because it is exactly the same. Mardi Gras in France, as in the United States, is the night before Lent starts, the day to get in one last party and food fest before a season of sacrifice quickly descends upon us.

check out the crowd!

We celebrated Mardi Gras with crêpes at the Cathedral :) After a balmy day of nearly 50 degree weather again, the evening ended with Mass, crêpes for dinner and dessert, and some traditional dancing! Crêpes originate from the Brittany region of France, which is just south of Normandy. Though the dish has spread to all of France (and around the world, because they are just so yummy!), the Bretons claim a particular mastery of the crêpe. Having visited this region, I can admit that a crêpe from Bretagne is certainly the best!

just a bit of the crêpe spread

Everyone made a boat-load of crêpes, so we had plenty to go around many times. We ate them with sugar, jam, Nutella, caramel sauce, and a number of other toppings. So yummy!

In keeping with the Breton spirit of the evening, we ended the night with some traditional Breton dances. They were simple line dances and partner dances--very repetitive. I was expecting dances more like a jig (considering Bretagne's Celtic roots), but all the Frenchies were shocked when I broke out my little reel! What we learned was much more simple, but still fun! I never pass up a chance to dance!